CYGNA: 10 year anniversary 2014-2024

Reports on CYGNA's 10-year anniversary meeting at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Park - Friday 21 June till Sunday 23 June. More than 80 pictures and lots of stories...

Anne-Wil Harzing - Wed 11 Sep 2024 11:40 (updated Wed 11 Sep 2024 11:43)

In June 2024, we held our first of two CYGNA 10-year anniversary celebrations. A second, virtual, celebration of our anniversary will take place early October 2024. However, we also really wanted to have a face-to-face meeting with the now enlarged CYGNA coordination team (see: Cygna videos - expanding the team) and a cross-section of long-term, medium-term, and recent CYGNA members.

So we opened up this opportunity to the entire network and had 32 swans joining for (part of) the event. They came from ten different countries: Australia (2), Ireland (2), France (2), Germany (1), Japan (1), Lithuania (1) Portugal (2), Spain (2), Sri Lanka (1), and the UK (18).

We were fortunate to be able to host this event at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Park, a place where Anne-Wil had organised writing bootcamps for Middlesex University in January 2018, July 2018, July 2019, July 2022, July 2023, and July 2024.

The amazing historic location added an extra layer of inspiration to our gathering. The rich history and cultural significance of the place provided a perfect backdrop for our discussions and reflections. A beautiful venue, tasty food, lovely space for a walk.

It was truly a privilege to stay at Cumberland Lodge, a location that is second to none and to walk in the footsteps of royals who had lived or visited there not so long ago. The walk to Windsor is another outstanding memory.

I really appreciated the opportunity to "get away from it all", and to have a weekend to reflect on what really matters mid and long term. I needed the sense of "bubble" that Cumberland Lodge provides.

It was a beautiful environment, both in a literal sense - the lodge and surroundings were gorgeous and peaceful - and also in terms of the beautiful and supportive atmosphere.

Cumberland Lodge is located in extensive grounds in Windsor Park. In addition to beautiful bedrooms (some with four-poster beds) and spacious conference rooms, it also has a wonderful sitting room, drawing room, tapestry hall and library (see pictures) that can all be used by guests who like a bit of peace and quiet for small group meetings or quiet reflection.

We were even more fortunate that sponsorship by Middlesex University and SAGE Publishing made the event affordable to participants. We would never have been able to run this event without their contribution, so we are immensely grateful to both organizations.

As most academics, I attend lots of events aimed at sharing experiences and career development. The weekend in Cumberland Lodge was different from them all! It was a truly transformational event for me. I have left Cumberland Lodge empowered and much more aware of influences (positive or negative) on my work and career.

In true CYGNA spirit, the event had been co-created. The majority of the CYGNA coordination team was involved in co-leading one or more of the sessions or taking care of the logistics. The full programme canbe found in all its glory in the pdf file here.

I came away feeling like there is a space for me in academia, and there are like-minded people looking for a different (more sustainable and humane) way of working in academia. I was energised to take up abandoned research projects and encouraged to find common interests with people I would like to work with.

This blogpost is very long, including more than eighty pictures, interspersed with quotes from participants and a write-up of the activities over the three days of the event. I hope you will enjoy perusing all of it. However, you are also welcome to dip in and out individual sections that are of interest to you. The links below will help you to do this.

The key word that describes the whole event experience is generosity. Founding this network and creating a platform where female academics' voices are heard, concerns are supported, and spirits are lifted for a decade has had a ripple effect. It made me, and I am sure many others, realise the impact we can have in uplifting those around us. Thank you.

Table of contents

Friday afternoon: arrivals and walks

As the CYGNA Lead Team had lots of things to discuss before the event, we met at Farringdon station and travelled together to Slough (see picture in front of Slough station) with the wonderful new Elizabeth line. This underground line even sports our CYGNA colours (lilac and purple!). Tatiana Andreeva - a member of the CYGNA UK/Europe team - joined us on the trip. On arrival at Cumberland Lodge we also met Shea Fan, Cordula Barzantny, and Jolanta Jaškienė and had a lovely lunch together in the garden.

After lunch Anne-Wil, Christa, Cordula, and Shea, joined by Nila (Christa's daughter), went on a quest to find the Copper Horse. Clarice joined us for the first stretch. There are lots of pictures of this walk so I am just including some small highlights here.

Friday evening: getting to know each other

Every participant was welcomed by a wonderful, laminated certificate created by Christa, matched with a CYGNA pin secured by Argyro and Ling through ESCP funding, and decorated with a purple rose and heart (see picture below). The latter two were used very creatively later in the evening!

The ability to meet one-to-one with people and have personal (not just professional), raw conversations. I have never had space and time to do this.

Satkeen, Tatiana and Ciara had devised a wonderful set of activities to help us to get to know each other or to re-connect with old friends. The immersive activities allowed us to leave outside worries behind and enabled the trust-building needed for a weekend of sharing and learning.

We were divided into three groups and were given four "assignments" on a nicely colour-coded set of cards (see top right picture below). The red one reminded everyone of their homework: completing a survey about CYGNA's future.

The blue one asked us to tell each other two truths and one lie, with the group guessing the lie. The green one asked us to discover non-obvious things we had in common, with prizes for the best one. The yellow one asked us to get creative and depict the power of a network in an artistic way. The two middle pictures show the groups in deliberation.

I managed to have enough conversations to be blown away by the diversity of backgrounds within and between the participants. It was a breath of fresh air to just chat and socialise without feeling pressured to talk mainly about research and / or teaching, as I have felt at academic conferences and research seminars.

In my group (middle right) we were very good at guessing the lies. Maybe we just knew each other too well? Or maybe we were just very bad at telling them! The only thing we couldn't figure out is which of Lee's broken bones was real. The groups who stayed inside (middle left) seemed to have come up with far more ingenious lies.

Given the limited time we had available, most groups had to settle for the obvious things we had in common, such as being multi-lingual, having lived in more than one country, liking walking in nature/reading/travelling, wearing glasses and wearing trousers on the day. I think the most original ones were all being able to dance the waltz and all liking watermelon.

It was comforting to hear that others have struggled with similar external obstacles and self-doubt and how they have managed to overcome them. This deep impact was possible because we share community (a little similar to a family), where everyone simply does their best to support the others. We could afford honesty, which allowed deeper conversations, rather than usual superficial academic chat promoting ourselves.

In the debrief, a lovely touch was that everyone was asked to introduce one other person, which again brought up lots of unexpected and funny stories. Then it was time to show our creative powers; the results were absolutely amazing. The top right picture shows how CYGNA is in all of our hearts. The creation also provided flexibility in the sense that more hearts can easily be added by expanding the circle.

The opportunities to engage in a variety of structured and unstructured interactions on thought-provoking topics over a few days, in a way that did not seem rushed or pressured. This allowed real and meaningful connections to form in an organic way based on shared interests, experiences and personalities that 'clicked'. This is very different from the surface-level, fleeting interactions that characterise most conferences/events.

The bottom right picture shows how collaboration can be used to untie a human knot. But for me the prize went to the symbolic performance - complete with accompanying music - in which CYGNA members were ordered by age and each gave one of the little purple flowers to the younger member. By the time they reached the youngest member they consisted of a full bouquet of flowers. What a powerful metaphor! Ciara expertly summarised all the learnings about networking on one of the flip overs.

Dinner and recognition awards

Food at Cumberland Lodge is usually very good. This weekend it was so good that one of the Chinese participants said it had completely changed her ideas about English food :-). Fortunately, we had an avid food photographer amongst us, documenting all three courses on the first evening. Thank you, Lee!!!

We also had a little award ceremony between courses. The first CYGNA Lead Team (myself, Argyro Avgoustaki, Ling Zhang and Shasha Zhao) all received a canvas certificate (see bottom left, picture taken outside the next morning). I was also honoured with a CYGNA 10-year memory book in which the participants could write their reflections (bottom right).

As a first-timer at a live CYGNA event (rather than online), it was both inspiring and heartwarming to observe the camaraderie and friendships that had sprung between CYGNAlians. Hearing the stories of CYGNA's history from those who lead and inspire its growth gave new meaning to my understanding of women "supporting women in academia".

As Nila Sathish had played such a big role in the preparations for the event, she was honoured with a CYGNA mug and a certificate as a honorary junior CYGNA member (bottom right). After dinner, quite a few of us went for a "walk around the cow pond" and we spotted a nicely symbolic representation of the CYGNA network.

Saturday morning: transitions in academia & DEI at SAGE

Many participants had been tucking into a full English breakfast in the morning. Too much for my sensitive stomach, but I can see the attraction when you are staying at such a quintessentially English location. So it was good that we started the day active.

Joanna Kamowska and Sylwia Ciuk led this morning and what a morning it was; I just adored the informal atmosphere of it. Here are the two co-conspirators waiting patiently for me to finish all the household announcements (no less than eight of them!) before starting the day.

There was such an atmosphere of authenticity. People were open and honest and it allowed me to be relaxed and ask the real questions that I had, meaning I got real help.

Creating collages & an inspiring career story

Sylwia has been experimenting with visual methods in her research, discovering that interviews are much richer when interviewees are asked to reflect on the topic visually beforehand. So, she and Joanna decided to elicit our views on academic careers through the creation of collages. Below you see all of us immersed in the process.

I like the understanding that our academic paths are different and unique, and I am happy that's fine! It allows us to increase our sense of comfort with the direction and pace of our own chosen academic journey. Feeling of encouragement don't be afraid of going out of your comfort zone, being wrong, and saying "no" if necessary. Being yourself:)

This event has inspired me to be more mindful about balancing my time between research and teaching. One key takeaway was the advice to not rush through everything but to plan with a five-year perspective in mind. This approach encourages a more thoughtful and strategic outlook, allowing for deeper engagement and more meaningful outcomes.

The mini reflection phases were a highlight for me, offering the opportunity to learn about each other's views on academia and how it is perceived internationally. These moments of shared reflection and dialogue have been invaluable in fostering a sense of community and mutual understanding.

Opportunities to build relationships that can directly impact developing a support network but also creating opportunities for collaborations. I have discussed at least 2 research projects and a few research visits that should happen within the next academic year. I also enjoyed learning about career trajectories and seeing how diverse ours can be, but at the same time, how much we have in common.

The finished collages deserve to be shown in full-sized glory. They were gloriously different and all illustrated rich discussions that will stay with the participants for a long time. Thank you Sylwia and Joanna. Two special mentions are due. One for 8-year old Nila Satish who summarised her group's discussion visually and verbally (picture 1) and one for Helena Martins for her brilliant mind-mapping that accompanied the same collage (picture 2).

I really enjoyed the meaningful conversations and the candour and vulnerability of the experiences that were shared. The activities were fantastic—they sparked so much reflection and gave us lots of insights.

Deriving from a metaphor from our group discussion, where academia was compared to a jungle, I am now much more relaxed in my interactions because I am just focused on "finding my own species" and that helped me organize my interactions in a sense that is both rewarding emotionally and more functional strategically.

The supportive atmosphere of this network has shown me the power of collaboration and mutual assistance, and I am eager to carry this forward in my academic journey. This event has truly been a catalyst for positive change in how I approach my professional responsibilities and personal growth.

I am thrilled to share my experience with this incredible network, which truly embodies the spirit of open and embracing academics. The insightful input and dynamic exchange of ideas have been nothing short of inspiring. I felt warmly welcomed from the very start, with every interaction being both empowering and enriching.

This network stands out for its unwavering commitment to empowering women, creating a supportive environment where every voice is heard and valued. I am grateful to be part of such a transformative and inclusive community!

After the collages we were treated to Ilaria Boncori's inspiring career story. Ilaria must be one of the very few academics in the world who were (internally) promoted to full professor twice. She received promotion on two different career tracks, once on an Education track and once on a Research track. Her informal presentation was authentic, funny, and uplifting and left all of us empowered and motivated. The subsequent small group discussions resulted in dozens of post-it notes scribbled full of ideas.

I feel more confident about listening to my own voice and follow my own path, i.e. to block out the multiple, unconstructive demands on my time and my career.

"Do some things that are instrumental, but then also do things for joy" - this was something that Ilaria said and that resonated with me on a deep level. I am trying to keep strategy and joy in balance in my current activities.

A very objective/practical outcome of this event was clarity around the need to be strategic in my career. A network is not only supportive emotionally it is instrumental for achieving our career objectives.

The event was significant for me for several reasons. Most importantly, I found like-minded individuals with interests beyond my discipline. The environment was welcoming, and I felt safe to express my views. Significantly, I learnt about academic practice that I was not aware of.

I think I will try to be more proactive in reaching out for help, advice and ideas. I realised there is so much we can learn from each other. I never wanted to bother people before by asking for help, but actually it seems people are so prepared to help if you just ask for it. Also will make more of an effort to stay in touch with CYGNA sisters (e.g., at conference meet-ups) as I can better understand the value of this network after the event.

DEI in SAGE publishing in Business & Management

Kiren Shoman is Executive Vice President at SAGE Publications, but she is also a CYGNA member (see her presentation at CYGNA: The wonderful world of book publishing) and someone I have known for 30 years. She was the junior editor for the first edition of my International HRM textbook. Kiren was fresh out of her Bachelors degree and I was working on a free-lance contract at the Open University, my first academic job.

We have kept in touch on and off and I am very proud of how we have both grown in our professions over the years! Our relationship is also a great illustration how networking with your peers (rather than only  with seniors) is a much more rewarding - and less stressful and intimidating - way to build relationships. As Kiren says in a wonderful podcast about her career trajectory from editorial secretary to EVP: you get to a stage of your life where you look around and notice how many peers are in positions of influence.

SAGE had kindly agreed to part sponsor our CYGNA event. So of course we wanted to invite Kiren to join us for at least part of the event. As an Executive VP she is a very busy lady, so we were grateful that she found the time to talk to us about a very appropriate topic, i.e. how SAGE engages with Diversity Equity & Inclusion in publishing in Business & Management. Her presentation (download here) was an eye-opener about the changing landscape in academic publishing.

Saturday afternoon: survive & thrive in academia

At lunch, we have a lovely hearty salad (see left picture below adorned with Helena's origami) followed by perfectly ripe fruit and cheese. The pineapple was particularly tasty (see right-hand picture). After the restorative lunch, we were ready for another serious session.

And a serious one it was! Clarice, Argyro, and Annie crafted a session on how Survive & Thrive in Academia. They were generously sharing their knowledge and personal experience about the following three topics.

• Colleagues behaving badly & dealing with bullies (Clarice)
• How to say no & setting healthy boundaries (Argyro)
• Overcoming perfectionism & embracing imperfections (Annie)

Below are some pictures of the three presenters in full flow.

I especially enjoyed the conversations among colleagues on topics that interest most of us, such as bullying at work and setting boundaries. The discussions were very engaging, and I was able to take away and give back a few tips that can be used in our daily working life. I left the meeting very happy and truly motivated.

During the event, I realized that many colleagues struggle with the same issues: how to set boundaries, how to say no, and how to deal with perfectionism or the lack of it. I understood that something obvious to one person might not be obvious at all to another. Sharing experiences and a few tips can really make a difference to someone.

The personal experience talks were particularly impactful, as they allowed us to connect on a deeper level and gain diverse perspectives on academia from around the world.

Multi-cultural tea break & walk to Windsor

Ciara had initiated the brilliant idea of having a multi-cultural tea break. This meant that everyone who had space in their luggage brought sweets from their home country. Matched with the lovely cakes provided by Cumberland Lodge, it made for a wonderful spread. There was such a buzz that Annie, Argyro, and Clarice wisely decided to let conversations on their set topics (on the screen behind) flow informally for the rest of the afternoon.

After a full day of sessions, we had planned some physical activity before dinner and were able to tempt no less than 16 participants to go on a 6km walk to Windsor. Below is our group just before the half-way point at the Copper Horse, followed by a few smaller pictures of the rest of the walk.

On arrival in Windsor, some brave hearts decided to turn around and walk back to Cumberland Lodge. Most of the others decided to take the opportunity to explore the festive atmosphere of Windsor (it was Ascot weekend) and took a taxi back. We arrived back for dinner at almost exactly the same time !

Here are a few pictures of the excellent food. Unfortunately, there is no picture of the delicious mushroom soup with truffle oil. Maybe that is good as it looked far less appealing than it tasted. So I have included another picture of the multi-cultural tea with the Japanese sweets brought by Ting and the Nigerian Plantain Chips brought by Mariam. Both were very tasty and appeared to me to be much healthier than Western sweets! The little bag contained elephant fridge magnets from Sri Lanka that Ruwaiha had kindly brought for us all.

Sunday morning: the future of CYGNA

On Sunday morning Ciara and Clarice facilitated a wonderful session on the future of CYGNA. We talked about what we consider the values of CYGNA to be, whether we should have conditions for membership, how the network can provide meaningful support to its members, and the many volunteering opportunities within CYGNA. We will be talking much more about this in our virtual anniversary meeting early October.

By this time my brain was fried. I am a very strong introvert and had had only 4-5 hours of sleep each night. So I completely forgot to take pictures for the rest of the day. Hence, the brilliant notes made by Jessica Wädt were a godsend. She has the most beautiful hand-writing I have ever seen; her notes are almost pieces of art.

I loved the honesty, the coming together, the positive energy that comes from sharing and feeling supported and understood, the genuity of interactions, the shared desire to help each other.

Sunday afternoon: saying our farewells

We had another lovely lunch in the Cumberland Lodge gardens (see picture below by Diana Kwok, she wins the prize for the most ingenious picture!). Afterwards some participants had to leave for early flights or trains. Others stayed behind to chat or catch up with collaborative research projects. It had been a very tiring, but incredibly inspiring and motivating weekend.

Thank you

Thank you organisers and presenters: Annie Wei, Argyro Avgoustaki, Christa Sathish, Ciara O'Higgins, Clarice Santos, Ilaria Boncori, Joanna Karmowska, Kiren Shoman, Satkeen Azizzadeh, Sylwia Ciuk, and Tatiana Andreeva.

This is just a note of appreciation and admiration for the organizing - volunteer - team as well as Cygna founders. Sometimes (if not always), we need to persist even against all odds. And only then can we see the difference we made! Thank you! I have been a better scholar (and person) ever since I met you.

It was a lovely event and very well worth the time I put into it. As a busy wife, mother, full time lecturer, and PhD candidate, I'm careful about where I invest my time, but this was definitely worth it. Thank you.

It was such a joy to participate in the organisation, so thanks to my fellow organising teammates!

This memorable event had a positive impact not only on our working practices, but also on our mental and overall well-being. This is much appreciated in such difficult times, and I am thankful to the sponsors and organisers.

Just a huge thank you to Anne-Wil and the organising team and the presenters for a fantastic event. :) The planning was amazing, everything was so well thought out. It was inspiring in many ways.

Thank you participants: Axèle Giroud, Cordula Barzantny, Diana Kwok, Helena Martins, Jessica Wädt, Jolanta Jaškienė, Kim Coogan, Lee Martin, Leire Gartzia Fernandez, Ling Eleanor Zhang, Luisa Pinto, Mariam Musa, Martyna Śliwa, Mitaali Katoch, Ruwaiha Razik, Sarah Otner, Saranzaya Manalsuren, Shea Fan, Susy Menis, and Ting Liu.

Informal and small group pictures

To round off this blogpost, below are a range of informal and small group pictures. I love the informality of the first picture, taken just after we had taken the main group picture. The remaining pictures are mostly duos or trios, shared by the various participants.

Here is to the next 10 years!!!

Related pages

• About Cygna - Background on the CYGNA network
• Quick overview - Overview of presentations in our meetings with linked slide decks
• Meetings - Information about forthcoming CYGNA meetings, and links to prior years
• Membership - Information for and about the Cygna network membership
• Readings and inspirations - Inspirational readings and resources for female academics
• The Cygna charter - Documents our CYGNA charter
• Cygna videos - Repository of introduction videos of our CYGNA coordination team
• Cygna history - Tracing the history of our network since 2014, includes links to all of our meetings
• Frequently asked questions - Everything you may want to know about the CYGNA network and more
• The SWAN project - Initiated by Christa Sathish and Clarice Santos and implemented by Jacqueline Leon Ribas, this project created two swans reflecting CYGNA’s equal, inclusive, collective identity and the diversity of the network and its members
• Conference meet-ups - Provides brief write-ups of CYGNA conference meet-ups
• 10-year Anniversary event - Programme page for our 10-year anniversary event
• International Women's Day - Our collection of posts for international women's day
• CYG: Teaching & Scholarship Research - Our first CYG = SIG = Special Interest Group

Related video